If You Had Been There
by uploadsforjack
Summary: Things might've been different. In 1943, Steve Rogers crashed into an icy ocean which left him frozen and preserved for almost 70 years. What if he was found in 2008, just before Tony Stark was captured in Afghanistan? [UPDATED EVERY WEDNESDAY.]
1. Chapter 1

"We need your expertise, Stark."

"You can't afford my expertise, and I've already done my good deed for the week," he says, a full smirk on his lips. "Why don't you take a card? We have a charity raffle every month."

The other man pulls a picture from his leather pocket. "This is something you might be interested in."

Coffee irises roll in annoyance. Everything might be something he might be interested in. Nothing actually piques his interest, anymore. For the sake of being left alone, he takes it. Rose-colored shades lower onto Tony's nose.

"I'm drawing a blank. What am I looking at?"

"This was found fifty miles out in the Arctic. A Russian oil team discovered the crash. We were there not even twenty-four hours later. What you're looking at is the remains of the Valkyrie."

"_The_ Valkyrie?" His stomach drops to his toes. "1943? It's correctly dated and everything?"

"My men have already verified the authenticity of the craft. My question is: Are you going to be there when we open it or not, Stark?"

"I'll be there."


	2. Chapter 2

Eighteen hours later, Tony Stark is deboarding a plane in the middle of nowhere. Happy Hogan trails behind carrying multiple suitcases. Director Fury and his assistant stand at the bottom of the stairs, looking awfully Men in Black-ish.

"Has anybody gone in there, yet?"

"I told you we were going to wait on you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, well," Stark shrugs, shaking the hands of both the men, "people lie."

"This is my right-hand man, Agent Phil Coulson."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark. I must say I'm quite the fan–"

"I get that a lot."

"–of your father's work. His Tessaract theory is unprecedented."

The strike to his ego doesn't go unnoted, but if anyone had the ability to lower Tony's pride, he wouldn't have any. So instead, a smirk tips his lips.

"It's a shame no one can find it." His eyes shift to the director. "Whoever has it now has world peace in their hands."

Fury crosses his arms over his chest. "Some things are better left lost. Follow me, gentlemen. We have a plane to investigate."

As far as he can see, snow covers the land. They travel on a snowmobile for an hour before the four men reach the crash site. Fury's agents have already built a structure around the ship so that they can investigate without losing a single piece of evidence. At least he's thorough, Tony thinks.

Stark strips off three of his jackets when they enter. He remains only in his bottom layer of a long-sleeved tee-shirt and sweatpants. The building is unusually warm, most likely to thaw out the ship. Coulson and Happy depart to get security detail and to view Tony's temporary room.

"How many people know about this?"

"Eleven," Fury says. "You, me, Coulson, Happy, and seven others."

"SHIELD agents?"

"Most of them. Agent Romanoff and Barton are working security. I have three other agents working on conserving the Valkyrie and anything left behind. The other two aren't my people."

"Who are they?" Tony asks.

"We reached out to Doctor Banner and Doctor Richards for their assistance. Neither of them has gotten back to us."

"Let me know when they do."

The director rests his hands on his hips. "I take it you won't be joining us for the debriefing."

"Doubt it."

"Be careful in there. We don't know what else got left behind."

"Yes, Mother." Stark salutes.

The Valkyrie looks exactly how Howard told him it did. Large wings span to either side of the craft. Such a plane shouldn't have been available back in 1943, but HYDRA had it anyway. The technological revolution didn't happen back in the 1990s. For the enemy, it started before World War II. For Stark Industries, it began only a few short months after that. Since then, Tony has preserved his father's legacy of staying ahead of the bad guys when it comes to weapon development.

There's never been a piece of equipment Tony couldn't master. His hands never wait to grab and manipulate metal and wires. This, however, is enough to still his fingers. For the first time in his life, Tony Stark hesitates. The landing dock has a hole in it, where it appears that another aircraft crashed within. The ice has melted just enough for a body to squeeze through.

His heart races. Clammy palms grip an audio recorder. He fiddles with the SD card slot, sliding in his own program.

"JARVIS, talk to me."

"We are online, sir," the A.I. says through the recorder. "Shall I commence a scan of the loading dock?"

"Go ahead."

"Initial scans show all temperatures to be below 16 degrees Fahrenheit. There is no sign of the Tesseract in this portion of the ship."

"And the solider?"

"No life form acquired, Mr. Stark."

The CEO presses the record button, bracing himself to walk back in time.

"This is Tony Stark. I'm about to step foot into the Valkyrie. I've put JARVIS in this dinky little recording thing, so any additional noise will be from him."

He slides through the gap in the ice, feeling for the metal bottom of the ship. Thick, slippery ice coats the surfaces, but Stark continues on until he reaches another, smaller plane.

"Let it be noted that we need to turn up the temperature in here, or else this thing is never going to thaw. Also, I have come across some... plane thing." He feels along the freezing exterior, scrubbing away the snow. "It reads 'New York'. There's space for a pilot, here. It kind of looks like it's holding–"

Tony pushes himself away from the craft, falling hard on his back.

"A bomb. The craft is holding a bomb. JARVIS, analyze it. Now."

"All signs show the missile is dormant. The weapon has not yet been activated, but any shift in the ice might cause it to switch on. I recommend evacuating the premises immediately."

"No," Stark says, pulling himself up. "I'm keeping on. Scan the ship for any more of those bombs."

"There are two additional parasites on the Valkyrie. Both are currently dormant."

"If anything changes, you tell me immediately."

"Yes, sir."

He continues through the loading bay to find the additional crafts JARVIS warned about. One is destined for Boston, the other was meant for Chigaco. All three of the mini-planes have the same octopus-like symbol branded onto the back.

"I think these were the bad guys," Stark mentions. "Still no sign of the Tesseract, or Rogers."

Tony creeps on, slowly. Every step is calculated. Every breath is shaky. Finally, he reaches the cockpit of the vessel. The genius uses his shoulder to ram the frosted door open. The wide front window has all but shattered away. The lower level of the pit is entirely covered in dense ice.

"JARVIS?" He whispers.

"No energy signal found, sir."

One shoe steps into the snow, then the next. Chocolate hues go wide, scanning every nook and cranny for a sign of danger. Instead, he finds a sign of hope.

"Oh, my god."

He releases all restraints, running against the ice to reach it. Tony claws at the object, desperate to clear away the snow crystals. Red, white, and blue circle a vibranium star.

"I've–" Words gets caught in his throat. "I found Captain America's shield."

Once again, Tony looks around. This time he looks down, searching through the feet of ice covering the lower deck.

Stark's mouth falls agape. Knees crash against the hard, cold ground. Bare fingers wipe away the cloudy snow, revealing Steven Rogers's persevered face beneath a foot of crystal clear ice. He appears untouched by time or death.

"Sir?"

"Yes, JARVIS?"

"My scanner is reading signs of life."


	3. Chapter 3

And like in the Psalms of old, King David ran naked through the streets, shouting and signing his rejoice and praise. The modern king of death is doing the same thing, except fully clothed.

"Is there a reason you're interrupting this very important meeting, Mr. Stark?"

Giddy smiles and childish laughs fill the room. "I found him. He's alive!"

Everyone drops their folders, keys, pens– it doesn't matter. Everybody that isn't trapped in ice chases after Tony like their own life depended on it. The SHIELD agents instructed to preserve the craft dethaw the loading bay. Stark leads them through the plane, all the way to where Steve's body rests in eternal slumber.

"The ice saved him?"

"Like some kind of cryogenic chamber," Tony says.

"We have to be careful from here on out. If he dethaws too fast, the results could be catastrophic."

"We also don't know if he's himself. After seventy years on ice, I wouldn't be the happiest to wake up. Stark, I want you in charge of thawing him out. Coulson, prepare a room for the captain."

"Let's take him to my place in New York."

"Not happening," Fury says. "If word gets out that Captain America is alive, we'll have every party out looking for him, including the bad ones."

Tony rolls his eyes. "He grew up in Brooklyn. That's the best place to get him acclimated to the new world. I have the equipment there to wake him up and keep him safe from everyone, including himself if need be."

Another twenty hours later, the four men who started the journey return home with a fifth. In the dead of night, they transport the coffin-sized cooler to Section 15 of Stark Industries.

Obadiah Stane, James Rhodes, and Pepper Potts are waiting for the party at the door.

"I wish you would tell me what you're working on, Tony." His mentor pats him on the back. "I could help ya out."

"Can't, Obie. I got Secret Agent One and Two on my back. Not even Pepper has access to this, so don't take it personally, pal."

Rhodey stops him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful in there, alright?"

"Yes, dear." He smirks.

No one but Tony, Coulson, and Fury have the authority to enter Section 15. There are five security doors to even reach the main floor where the captain is to be held, and they must enter one at a time and go through a series of retinal, finger, and facial scannings.

One of them is to be on-duty until he wakes. In that case, Steve won't have to spend a moment alone in the new, wide world. Coulson takes the first watch, Fury takes the second, and Tony takes the one throughout the night. Stark programs a heater to gradually remove the ice from Captain America's body from all sides. This way, he's warmed evenly. Almost ten monitors show a live feed of Steve's brain activity, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.

Tony Stark is thorough if nothing else.

There is one last person he contacts, and that is his godmother. Tony pays for the best care for her back in England. She gets to live in her own, childhood home with the best nurses and doctors at her side.

"Peggy?"

"Who's calling?"

Stark's lips turn upward from the other side of the phone. "It's Tony."

"Tony! How wonderful it is to hear from you. How are you, my son?"

"I don't have much time. I just wanted to let you know that I found him."

"Found who?"

His smile fades just as quickly as it appeared. For all of his knowledge, he curses himself for not yet finding a cure for her condition. "Steve. We found Steve Rogers."

She gasps, dropping the phone on her chest. "Is he alive?"

"Yes. When he wakes up, I'll bring him to you. It's the least I can do for all that you've done for me."

Throughout the day, he keeps up with his normal activities. Sex, drinking, creating weapons of mass destruction, all of it. If the soldier wakes up, Tony might be out of business. The most famous weapon will be active again. What will he need of toys?

"Don't forget about your trip to Afghanistan next week," Pepper says. "Rhodey is going with you. Do you remember, or are you so caught up in this new project that I'm going to have to keep reminding you?"

"Uhhh– remind me."

"You're presenting the Jericho missile to the general."

"Right, right. I'll be there. My new project should be finished by then. Thank you, Miss Potts. What would I do without you?"

She smiles. "Starve, I think."

During his nightly watch, his heart races while weighing ten thousand pounds all at once. This is his father's greatest creation. This is the legend that so many revere and adore, Tony included. He's handsome, too. In a strange, out of body moment, he wonders if Howard ever had relations with the solider. But that's a silly, ridiculous thought.

Stark eventually brings other projects into Section 15, to cure his boredom during the long nights. He starts to talk to the sleeping captain, too. He talks about the mechanics of his weapons like Steve is an intern.

"You probably don't know a thing about engineering, do you?" He sets down his sautering gun one night, staring hard at the star-spangled man. "We'll get you an honorary degree in mechanics you wake up."

As more of the melted ice drains through the floor, the anticipation only grows. At any moment, Steve could start to sputter and cough. The process will be complete. It nears the end during Coulson's watch.

"It's happening."

Tony and Fury both sprint from their positions. Stark takes off from the Research and Development levels, while the director comes from a nearby coffee shop. The CEO reaches the top of the stairs when he watches the captain plowing through solid concrete walls of his lab.

He cashes after Rogers. "Hey! Hey!"

Fury calls in all agents of SHIELD. They surround him just outside of Stark's building.

"At ease, soldier."

Steve breathes heavily, confused and dazed by his obvious conditions. Tony leans up against the doors of his lab, almost in too much of disbelief to even breathe.

"Where am I?"

"You're in Brooklyn, Cap. You've been asleep for almost 70 years."

His bright blue eyes widen, but fear never settles in them. He turns, taking a long look at Stark. Chocolate irises blink with the same fear that Steve rejected. This slumbering captain could crush his neck without breaking a sweat.

"Howard?"

"No," he says. "I'm his son, Tony."

"Tony," Steve repeats, taking a moment to stare at the ground. "Tony."

"You gonna be okay?" Fury asks.

"Yeah." Rogers nods. "I just– I had a date."


	4. Chapter 4

The man out of time looks like he's also in a different world. By all means, he practically is. The technological revolution is in it's prime. Steve went under the ice in an era where technology was just beginning to flourish.

"I'd like to debrief back at SHIELD headquarters, Captain."

Tony scoffs, motioning to Steve's wide, doe-like eyes. "Do you not get the 'deer in headlights' look, Director? Besides," he pauses to gaze deep into those crystal blue hues. "Grandpa here is probably starving. Let me tell you, BeefBurger. Best burgers in Manhattan."

The blonde nods, slowly. The decades will catch up to him, Tony's sure of it. "Food. That– That sounds good. BeefBurger's still around? They were open before I–" He hesitates as if it's too much for him to say. "– I'm glad they're still open."

"They're Burger Heaven, now." Agent Coulson joins the conversation, extending his hand to the waking beauty. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I mean, it is just an honor to have you here."

Coffee irises roll for perhaps the fifth time today. "Okay, fangirl. The grown-ups are talking. So, Rogers. Treat you to lunch?"

Steve's forehead crinkles into tiny lines. "Sure."

On the way to Manhattan, Tony fits the captain with a beginner's list of all the things he needs to catch up on. This list includes Thai food, Star Wars, Apple, and disco. Plenty of space is left at the bottom for last-minute additions.

"I know this must be insanely difficult for you," Stark says, and it's the first genuine remark he's made in days. "Really, I'm here if you ever need help with this crazy, strange world."

The war hero inhales deeply, gazing out of the train window. He must not even recognize this concrete jungle New York has made of itself. Tony believes that Rogers will think it's destroyed, made ugly by time. He's even more apprehensive because he couldn't disagree more. The world has only grown more wonderful as time has gone on. His face, his inventions are plastered all around this globe. A world of himself is the only one Tony wants to live in.

"Thank you, Tony. I think the strangest part is sitting right beside Howard's son." He smirks, gracing soft features. "What is it you do? Did you follow your old man's legacy?"

"More or less. I took his small, underdeveloped company and turned it into a giant. Stark weapons are around the world, Cap. There isn't a war won without my name in it."

"And you're proud of that?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Dad did the same thing. I do it. I just make more money than he did."

"It's all about the money, huh?"

Tony's lips purse into a line. "I'm sorry. Who just raised your ass from the dead pro-bono?"

Steves raises his hands in innocence, a knowing smile on his lips. "You did. Sorry, I didn't have my insurance card on me."

Burger Heaven has grown into a multi-location, old-fashioned casual diner, or at least that's how Tony knows it. Steve Rogers enters the joint with pleasant surprise covering his face.

"This place really grew up," he comments mid-burger. "Wow, I guess you really don't know what you're missing until it's gone."

Stark raises both his burger and beer in agreement. "Truth, Socrates. Next, I gotta take you to Juniors. Best cheesecake anywhere. Oh, and we have to hit Lombardi's. Maybe even Chinatown. Was Wo-Hop around back in the day?"

His father talked endlessly about the famous Captain America, and now he's talking endlessly to the famous Captain America. It's a strange sensation, being around someone almost as notorious as he. Plus, he's somewhat of a childhood hero.

Howard always advised never to meet his heroes. It spoils the illusion. They're never who you think they are. But Steve Rogers is across the booth and he seems to be everything he'd heard about and more. No one ever mentioned how intoxicating his gaze was.

Steve's smiling. He has been since they boarded the LIRR into Penn Station. Not once has Tony ever gotten tired of it.

"Sounds like we're going to start making a thing of this."

Tony's breath hitches in his throat. "If you want. I don't mind putting it on the weekly schedule."

"Who better than you to introduce me to the future? It seems like you're paving the way for it."

"I like to think so." His lungs release. Easy conversation fills the afternoon. Nothing too deep. Everything stays just shallow enough for Tony's liking. What's the latest fad? Who won the war? What happened to the Tesseract? Is Peggy still around? Those are all questions Tony can answer easily. It's the ones about Howard he has a harder time responding to.

"What happened to him, anyway? Did he ever– Is he still alive?"

"No," Starks says, his own glimmer of joy fading as quickly as it appeared. "No. He died back in the '90s. Car crash."

"I'm sorry, Tony."

The CEO shrugs it off, waving, pretending as if it isn't as big of a deal as he's making it. "It happens. It happened. There's no changing it. I just know that he is rolling in his grave."

"Why?"

"Because I found you before he did. He looked for you until he passed. He had an entire section of his company prioritizing you."

"All for me?"

"You were a legend. America went looking for you. You were– still are a hero."

"Really? People still think about Captain America?"

"Well your costume has been at the top of the popularity list at Party City, so I'd say so."

This feels nice. This feels natural. It feels like talking to an old friend, but not Rhodey. This is something new. Stark sets down his drink and doesn't even remember it exists until they get up to leave.

"I rented out this hotel in Brooklyn for you, just so you don't have to stay at SHIELD if you don't want to."

"I really appreciate it, Tony." He shakes Stark's hand. "I'm just not sure what to do with myself now. There's so much I don't know, anymore."

He sighs, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Take the night to look around. Get a feel for the world. The internet will help _a lot_. This is your second chance at life, Cap. Live your best one."

"Did Howard teach you that one?"

"He taught me everything. I'll stop by tomorrow for lesson two of the twenty-first century?"

"Can't wait."


End file.
